The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1887-06-02
ABOUT FIGHTING.
An Amusement for Which Men and AMI
mails Have Natural Propensity.

whole range of the animal creation one
animal that does not fight, if it ha:
sense enough and powers of locomo.
tionP
Oysters and CLAIMS can not fight. II
their organ of combativeness is not
wanting they have no use for it, HOLSTERS
fight and are wonderfully voracious.
| They even devour each other, and may
be said to eat themselves; for, chang.
ing their shell and stomach every year,
these remains are generally the first
morsel to glut their new system. The
life of all fishes is one of perpetual war.
fare. The carnage of the sea exceeds
that on dry land. Bees fight savagely,
both in swarms and singly. Two bees,
having a quarrel, 90 out armed with
their deadly stings-more formidable
the hive and fight a duel. Ants fight
with great ferocity. Armies of ants
meet other armies in deadly battle and
cover the field with the killed and
wounded. They also fight duels This
Spiders not only fight, but eat each
other like human cannibals. From the
| elephant to the mouse, the quadrupeds
CfCu IHc SCAOlcSJs
cient prOvOcation. As illustrating the
fondness of horses for excitement of bat.
| tie, we may remember the conduct OF
the old army steeds, no longer of use
and turned out to perpetual pasture
through the humanity of the British
cavalry officer, Sir. Robert Clayton.
While the horses were grazing a vio.
lent thunderstorm arose. At once the
I. 6. III L 4
ing lightning, under an impression that
it was the flash of artillery and the fire
of battle. Cats swear and spit at each
other, fur-pulling and blood-letting be.
ing their great delight.
A long time ago, one summer night
all the cats in the city of Kilkenny
were absent from their homes, and the
next morning plain near the city
was strewed with thousands of slain
cats, and it is supposed that almost all
the cats in Ireland joined in the fight,
as was shown by collars on the necks
of some of the dead bearing the names
of places in all quarters of Ireland.
A monkey has been known to whip
large bulldog. We believe the
whole monkey tribe as it approaches
humanity increase in pugnacity.
Most all birds, from the ostrich to
humming-birds, are fighters. The male
ostrich frequently administers a chas-
tisement to the female by kicking her
heartily around the paddock until she
is under control. Whenever it hap
pens that two humming- birds meet
among the flowers they signal the en-
counter with shrill war-cry, and dash
at each other in fierce antagonism.
For an instant they close together,
then give each other chase, and with
the speed of meteors are lost to view.
Shortly after the return of one alone
announces that the victory has been
quick and decisive. Diminutive as are
the puny sprites, they are heavily
charged with combativeness. The en-
tire race are pugnacious and quarrel
some, imprudently assaulting each
other and birds of much greater size.
Even the hawk is not safe from their
attacks, and has been seen whipped by
them. So excessive is the pugnacity
which characterizes the game-cock that
broods scarcely feathered are occasion
ally found to have reduced themselves
to utter blindness by their combats.
When two game-cOcks meet they have
way of crOuching and pointing" at
each other; then they advance with
heads erect and fury in every move
ment, fly at one another. each en-
deavoring to drive his spur into the
head or breast of his adversary. In
heraldry the cock is the emblem OF
strife, of haughtiness, of quarrels, and
of victory.
As to man-do we not know that his
history is history of war? In the
savage state tribes are in continual
warfare. In barbarous nations these
fierce contests are prosecuted on q
larger scale. How seldom were the
tribes of Greece at peace! How seldom
closed the doors of the Temple of Janus
in ancient Romei Read the history of
modern nations, and how frequent
are the wars, how brief are the inter-
walls of peace! 1t is estimated that
nearly seven billion of human beings
have perished in the battles which man
has waged against his fellow-creature
man; but there is scarcely battle of
the last three centuries which can at all
rival in destructiveness many ancient
struggles. In the following list the
first named in each case were the
yictors:
Jerusalem (siege of, A. d. 20. Ro-
mans and Jews. More than 1000, 200
Jews perished.
Platea. B. c. 479. Greeks and Per-
slams. The latter were annihilated, los
ing 800. 900 men.
Battle "a. d. 269) between the Ro-
mans (under Claudius) and the Goths.
In this fight 800, 900 were slain.
Issus, B. C. 333. Greeks and Per-
slams. The latter lost 11O, 900 of whom
$1,000 were left dead on the field.
Hastings, A. ID. 1906. Normans and
Saxons. Over 10000 men were slain
Falkirk, A. ID. 1898. English and
Scots. The latter left 10000 dead on
the field
Bannockburn, A. d. 1914. Scots
and English. The latter lost $4,000
men.
Vienna (siege of, 1929. Germans
and Turks. The Turks lost 10000
| men.
Blenheim, A. d. 1874. English and
Germans against French and Bavari-
ans. The latter lost p, 900 men.
Praya, 1864. Russians and Poles.
The latter had $4,000 killed.
From a rough calculation taken from
the returns of those left dead ON the
| ucluS VI UdtIlc III WHICH, COIIt-
manded, from Mentenotte to Waterloo,
we find the amount 1871, 500. The
Crimean war caused the destruction OF
7S4. 900 lives; the war in Italy in 1857,
200; in Schleswig- Holstein, $500
the rebel war, 100000; the Prussian
and Austrian war, 45, 200; the war in
Mexico and China by the English and
French, 65, 200, and the Prussian and
French war, 100000 grand total be-
tween 1858 and 1880 of l, $3.50, 900 lives.
What do people not fight and quarrel
about? Is there anything that has not
been the germ of a ''rowP" Nothing
under the sun we believe, from
a pin to new baby's name. There
was European contest of twelve
years, arising out of the mischance of a
politician having spilled cup of coffee
on the silk gown of one Mrs. Mar
sham, who was sort of genteel waiting
maid to Queen Anne, with very great
influence over the not very sensible
mind of her majesty. In moment of
irritation-and spoiled brocade would
try any woman's temper-she gave ad-
vice, which her royal mistress followed,
contrary to the pacific predictions OF